Telecommunication networks and other networks are increasing in both size and complexity. It is anticipated that this trend will continue such that very large telecommunications networks having tens of thousands of nodes will become increasingly commonplace. Unfortunately, as such networks increase in size, the network management function also increases in complexity. This means that critical tasks such as provisioning (allocating resources to form a communications link), restoration, reinstatement and the like, must be completed in a reasonable time using network management tools available to a network manager at a single location.
In a manual provisioning mode, an operator specifies all details of a circuit such as end points, all links, time slots, and all network elements. The manual provisioning mode allows the operator to select a particular circuit providing a communication circuit for DS-1, DS-3, EC-1, OC-3 and other communications services. However, the manual provisioning mode is slow (the operator must select all links manually) and error prone (the operator may make an error in selecting these links).
In an automatic provisioning mode, the operator specifies end points (i.e., start node and end node) and type of circuit needed to provide the desired communication. A network manager system responsively examines all of the spare resources available in the network and selects the optimum path for the requested circuit. This automatic provisioning mode requires the identification of all spare resources such as channels and communication links from the data base, the constructing of a graphical or other depiction of the spare resources within computer memory and the execution of a shortest path algorithm to find the optimum route.
Within a telecommunications network comprising many network elements (NEs) or nodes, it is desirable to balance the network traffic such that the network elements or nodes are not over utilized. Unfortunately, provisioning algorithms do not properly account for system-wide network element loading levels. That is, present provisioning algorithms tend to over utilize some nodes and under utilize other nodes while attempting to provide a “shortest path” for provisioned circuits.
Therefore, it is seen to be desirable to provide a method for provisioning a circuit in a manner that avoids over utilizing network elements or nodes. Additionally, it is seen to be desirable to adapt automatic provisioning and/or manual provisioning techniques in a manner that avoids over utilizing network elements or nodes.